PAT CAPUTO: Is Tigers' uncertainty at closer at recipe for disaster?

Detroit Tigers' Phil Coke celebrates after winning Game 4 of the American League championship series against the New York Yankees Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012, in Detroit. The Tigers move on to the World Series. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

As Tigers manager Jim Leyland has said, his club is extraordinarily impressive in regard to names on the back of its uniforms.

The Tigers' batting order is probably the best in major league baseball. Ditto for the Tigers' starting pitching rotation. The bullpen has several proven major league-caliber relievers. The Tigers have good depth.

What stands out is a glaring hole at closer. While it sounded great in theory a couple months ago that the Tigers would simply replace departed closer Jose Valverde with hard-throwing rookie Bruce Rondon, the reality of the situation as spring training approaches isn't nearly promising.

Rondon is still regarded as "the leading candidate" for the closer spot, according to general manager Dave Dowbrowski. Yet, if Rondon isn't the closer, than who are the other candidates?

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Leyland did address the issue at TigerFest Saturday, pointing out what the other "candidates" for the spot don't bring to the table as potential closers more than what they would.

Phil Coke closed in the postseason, but Leyland isn't sure how he'd hold up in the spot over a long period. Coke's playoff success does appear to be more of aberration than a trend. His WHIP (walks per innings pitched) has been above 1.4 every year he has been with the Tigers, including above 1.6 last season (the MLB average was 1.3). In the regular season, he has a total of six saves in his career, and his lifetime ERA is above 4.00.

Leyland expressed concern about Joquin Benoit's ability to hold up physically to the demands of closing, and Octavio Dotel's ability, at 39, to fill that role.

Leyland wasn't knocking his pitchers. He was only stating the obvious. All are quality major leaguers, but in specific bullpen roles other than closer. Taking them out of those roles wouldn't only be unlikely to solve the closer dilemma, but would weaken the Tigers' bullpen strength down the line.

The fan favorite to close would be Al Alburquerque. He has garnered phenomenal statistics (85 strikeouts in 56 innings, a 1.59 ERA, a solid WHIP), but the Tigers are very cautious about his health. Last season, he missed most of the year with an elbow injury. He didn't pitch at anytime with less than two days rest. There is a comfort zone in not closing for Alburquerque. The Tigers want to leave him in it. Those are the reasons why neither Leyland or Dombrowski ever mention his name when the subject of potential closers arises.

Dismissing Rondon would be unwise. If the best clubs only relied on proven commodities to fill open spots, there would never be an influx of younger players, and roster balance would be skewed. Closer is an iffy role even if a veteran is traded for or signed. Veteran relief pitchers tend to move in and out of the role. It's why Tigers' fans scorn for the displaced Jose Valverde is misplaced. Yes, he did meltdown in the playoffs, and many of his saves were more like watching a high-wire act than a baseball game. But he was relatively consistent as a Tiger overall, and brilliant in 2011.

Rondon throws 100 mph. He has a free and easy motion, unlike the violent delivery that caused former Tigers' hard-thrower Joel Zumaya so many arm troubles.

While arm strength isn't a problem, command of the baseball might be (eight walks in nine Triple-A innings). So is lack of experience (Rondon has never thrown a pitch in the major leagues). And there is the intangible factor nobody knows. Closers must have short memories because fans have long ones, seldom recalling the routine saves, but always remembering the blown opportunities.